Sometime later when they all had settled back down, they found themselves out in an open field on the edge of the woods. They sat on the sloping knoll laughing their heads off at something drunken humor had produced.
"I think it will be sometime till I drink again," Ava commented as their laughter died.
"You liar," Isobel accuse. "I have heard that more times than I can even think about counting."
"More than five, eh?" James teased. Isobel stuck her tongue out in a juvenile fashion.
"Besides, you know we'll all be drinking again Saturday night." Sirius supplied. "After that accursed ceremony."
"OK, so after that, maybe I'll give up the liquor," she mused. After thinking about it, "Maybe not."
They all lay there for some time talking back and forth until Ava decided that she need to be up doing something so as not to even think about getting sick. The rest of the girls stood up and agreed upon silliness to wear down the buzz, and to enjoy it. They didn't even notice they were alone. Finally the girls all fell into a heap on the ground, laughing and crying at the same time. Not that they had noticed, but it became really quiet. As their laughing died down, so did their heartbeats. That is, until Remus and Peter came and jumped out behind them from either side, all jumping five feet straight up.
"Lupin!" Lily cried in unison with Ava. Isobel was still clutching her chest as Devon went and jumped on him. Isobel tickled Peter who had laughed at their surprise. Ava and Lily aided their friends in revenge. Stopping, Isobel looked around.
"And where would your comrades be?" She eyed the two suspiciously.
"Probably doing exactly what you think." Peter exchanged a wicked grin with his friend. "Setting up some prank."
"Be prepared, hmmm?"
"Safe bet." Remus nodded.
The girls looked around in the dark, their eyes somewhat adjusted to the dark. Lily didn't even see it coming. She turned back around as her back faced the woods as she shrugged to her friends. But up from behind came a big black dog that ran up and jumped up and rubbed the side of its body down her leg, her surprise more than audible.
"Cripes," She breathed out as the dog snuffled at her hands. "What a time for dogs."
"A dog?" Devon asked. "This is the mutt that has been hanging around here for years. Still around hmm?"
"Does he belong to anyone?" Isobel eyed him. "Looks kind of scruffy."
"Oh," cooed Ava as the dog made its way through the girls and came over by her. "And how are dogs supposed to be? Manicured and constantly groomed? Bows?"
"Wouldn't hurt," Isobel gave a small sneer at the hair beast. He was cute, for a dog, she guessed. Not really her thing.
"Nah," Ava started her one way conversation with the dog. "We like playing in the dirt. Chasing rabbits even right? Yeah, grr…"
Lily couldn't help but laugh at her friend, but then she knew the secret. She looked up at Remus and Peter who seemed to share her amusement. But where was James. She looked around until she saw a stag standing in the woods almost out of her vision. She cleared her throat. "Isn't it an odd time for deer?" she asked Remus.
"Oh, the have their ways I suppose. Seems a tame lot around here. Canines as well."
Ava seemed totally absorbed in playing with the dog, who found a stick or a ball to throw. Lily couldn't quite see. Devon and Isobel had sat down and watched Ava jump around wreck with the stray. Remus and Lily chose to play as well instead of sit. The dog had a great time running back and forth as they threw the ball (it turned out to be-Merlin knows where he found it Devon grimaced) to each other, in keep-away fashion.
"Pick up strays now I see." James suddenly appeared. "I leave for two seconds and you start hanging around with rubbish."
Lily laughed at his facetiousness. "Two seconds, hmm, my arse." She murmured so only he could hear.
"He's not rubbish," Ava stood up in the dog's defense. The dog did wander back over to James and Lily. "Snuffles is very handsome." She looked at the dog, and then back at James, "And smart too he says."
"Oh he told you this did he?"
"Snuffles?" Remus tried to stifle his laughter. Peter however failed. "Talkative isn't he? Like others we know."
"Yes, Snuffles." She said in mock defense. "Bruiser would be redundant wouldn't it? Killer? Sinbad, Bear? He needs fluffy name for a dog this big. It's…ironic."
"Whatever luv," Remus laughed at her odd sense of humor. The back of his inebriated mind wondered why no one noticed Sirius was gone. But inebriation might have something to do with that fact he concluded.
"You think anyone would notice if I took him on the train?' She played.
"I would!" Isobel screeched. At the same time, Peter mentioned of how he already did have a home with someone in the village. "He's just an independent hound though, hard to keep track of."
"Too bad." Ava gave a slight frown, a moment later her eyes lit up again as she turned to Lily. "We can get a dog when we're all settled! I mean- do you mind?"
Lily saw the way her friends smile and eyes sparkled and couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sure we can find one somewhere." James closed his arms around her with a small smile.
"Ok, just keep the idea in mind," Ava turned back to the dog. "Well I guess we better get home as well as you. Nice to meet you." The dog pawed at her, and she took his paw. "Smart Snuffles." She leaned down and gave him a kiss on the fuzzy top of his nose with a ruffling of his furry ears. He barked awfully loudly and followed them as they walked back home, much to Isobel's dismay.
"Go home," Devon said for the fifteenth time and pointed towards the village. "Or at least away from here."
"Cheers Snuff," Ava called after him as he skulked off.
They walked back quietly. Remus, among the rest of the others that knew, kept snaking eyes at her, waiting to see if she'd remember about Sirius. Finally feeling somewhat guilty for his friend he mentioned it. "Sirius better move over if you want a dog in your life."
"Sirius!" Ava clasped a hand to her face. She half whispered in a tipsy manner "I forgot all about him." Isobel and Devon broke into giggles as well, for they hadn't noticed at all either.
Ava turned around to look for him, just in time to see Sirius walking up behind the group. He walked up to her and cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, challenging her. He seemed as if to say 'well?'
"You made it!" she laughed at herself and her stupidity. Being drunk is an easy way to make fun of one's self. She gave Sirius her best mixture of silly/sheepish/cheesy/ aren't I still cute grin, somehow finding a way to roll it all up into one.
"You've been replaced, mate." Peter told him seriously.
"By a dog." Remus added.
"Named Snuffles." James put in with a straight face.
"Snuffles?" Sirius head turned even more to the side, looking back from all three to Ava. She gave a silly shrug.
"Replaced by a dog," Lily tsked. "While you were off doing what, pray tell?"
"Yes do tell?" all seemed to ask. The marauders wanting to see what lame excuse he could muster.
"Maybe I met a lovely fox along the way. A vixen in fact." He conjured. "I was quite taken with her and the feeling, I'm quite sure, was mutual."
"Where were you really?" Devon glared at him.
"I don't think I should tell you," he swaggered away.
"Oh, do tell." Ava called after him.
He came back over and tossed Ava up over his shoulder and started walking back towards the castle. On the way, he told them of his many possible adventures he could have had. One of them being how he come along this dog and paid it a tenner to go cause them some trouble, never dreaming it would fall for his girl. He kept them so amused with his stories, no one really thought to wonder or ask where he had really been. Just the way he liked it.
Once they played the alcohol out of their blood and were back at the castle, they came across the rest of the students wandering about before breakfast, getting ready for their last day of class. Which is to say, they received many glares from those who still had to go to class on Friday while the seniors had finished their exams on Thursday. Luck was still with them as they strode on back to the house commons without another run in with a professor. In fact, they later mused, they had sat out the early morning in the courtyard followed up by the sunrise by the lake, with no other interaction from authority. Very strange indeed. Must have been the schools gift to the senior class. Or was that Saturday night?
::That was very fun. Phew! And those blasted N.E.W.T.s are done! Stayed tuned for more fun…
